


(do not) stand at my grave and weep

by macachee



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family (Implied), Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships, Technoblade Hears Voices (Video Blogging RPF), mostly just comfort though, my favorites are all morally gray and it shows, these are the dream smp characters not rpf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29191539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/macachee/pseuds/macachee
Summary: Technoblade stopped for a moment before taking a shaky breath and continuing. “And he was my friend. Even when he went a little extreme, I still wanted to protect him. To help him. And I couldn’t, as it turns out, protect him from himself. If I couldn’t do that, then I at least wanted to give him a bit of rest. I don’t know if that worked either, but it was worth a shot. For the sake of the Wilbur I used to know.”Or, Wilbur was a monster, and monsters don't deserve rest. Right? Regardless, he just might get it.
Relationships: Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson (mentioned), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson (implied), Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit (mentioned)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 83





	(do not) stand at my grave and weep

The pages were dry and frail under his fingertips, and he turned them delicately, minding his claws. He usually kept them sharp enough to gouge throats but his retirement had dulled them, as tending to the bees and the turtles required a more gentle hand (he regretted this later of course, but the past could not be changed, and only remembered and reflected upon).

At any rate, he was busy brushing up on his literature. His years-long jaunt through potato fields and the subsequent rebellion (and war) had left his mental library dry and lacking, and the retirement left him plenty of time to catch up. Claws traced the tale of the great Orpheus on his trip to the underworld to raise his wife and the later consequences of his trust, or lack thereof. It was an old favorite of his despite the tragedy.

Just as he was reaching Orpheus’ fatal mistake, he heard a soft knock on the wood of his wall, and his hand flashed to his side to grasp at a non-existent weapon and his eyes locked onto a figure half-phased through the wall. As he mapped out the soft yellow yarn, grey skin, and glowing white eyes, he relaxed, closing the book, and gently setting it aside.

“Hullo, Ghostbur,” Techno greeted, and the ghost beamed back, pulling himself through the wall.

“Hello Technoblade!” Ghostbur exclaimed, floating towards the man. Techno pulled off his glasses, setting them on top of the book cover and setting himself straight on the couch. Chat’s words started to flurry through his mid with sounds of excitement, but he shook his head a few times before looking back at the ghost. He motioned next to him with his head and Ghostbur eagerly sat down, immediately becoming distracted by a blanket Phil had left after one of his frequent visits. It was warm, and blue, and knitted by Philza Minecraft himself, which may have been the attracting factor for the ghost. Techno watched him fiddle for a few quiet moments with a small smile before clearing his throat, causing Ghostbur to look up at him. 

__“So, what can I help you with?” Techno questioned. Ghostbur’s visits, while welcomed, were typically few-and-far-between, choosing instead to remain in his sewer in L’Manburg. Techno wasn’t sure why, as not only was L’Manburg a bit of a dumpster fire on a good day, and the sewer was damp and cold at the nest of times, but he didn’t want to force Ghostbur into anything. It probably had something to do with Wilbur’s death, he guessed, and left it alone._ _

__The ghost scrunched his eyebrows together, pondering for a moment, before his eyes lit up brighter than usual and his smile grew. _“Well, I really just wanted to stop by and say hi, but I noticed that things have changed a bit since I came here last. I was wondering,” _he said slowly, in a teasing tone, _“if you could possibly give me a tour? Please, Technoblade?” _He looked at Techno with a pleading expression on his face. The Chat’s whispering grew louder, cries of “yes, yes” and other forms of agreement piercing through the usual drones of their words. Techno fake-sighed, looking at an absent watch on his wrist and pretending to check the time._____ _

______“I guess I have the time,” he supposed, and Ghostbur immediately beamed, clapping his hands excitedly. Techno hid a smile behind his tusks as he stood up, the ghost following right behind him. “I actually wanted your opinion on something, since you know I’m not exactly the best builder on the server, but we can do that last,” he called behind him, and Ghostbur blushed blue. He loved building and design, and he had put his entire dead heart into the reconstruction of his beloved country, but few people actually actively asked for the help he would so gladly give._ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Of course, Techno,” _he murmured, and they began their tour.__ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Much like the Blood God in his current state, his settlement was much more quaint and relaxed than his reputation. Ghostbur had noticed and studied many of the structures while floating over, such as the bee farm next to the cottage and the stables connected to it, but he would take any excuse to hang out with Techno._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, here’s Carl,” Techno began, gesturing at the brown horse in diamond armor lazily chewing grass in the stables. Ghostbur moved closer, placing his palms on the rough wood and leaning in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“Hello, Carl,” _Ghostbur beamed, racing out a hand for Carl to press into. The horse glanced up, snorted once, and continued chewing. Ghostbur pouted as Techno laughed at his pain, shaking his head and leading Ghostbur away.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Carl’s not exactly the most social horse if I’m being honest.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“I can see why you two get along,” _Ghostbur grumbled, and Techno cackled.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________They reached the bees after a few steps, and Techno stopped, raising a sarcastically overdramatic arm in presentation. “This here’s the bees, as you might be able to tell.” Ghostbur floated up to the glass, watching the bees buzz and hum inside. “I needed a ton of honey for a...project of mine a while back, so I asked Phil to come over and help me. He’s a bit better at that stuff than I am. I mean, you know me. I’m really only good at stabbing and grinding,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Ghostbur turned around, wide eyes staring at Techno. _“Don’t say that, Technoblade.” _He laid his grey hands on Techno’s shoulders, not noticing the tenseness of them, and smiled. _“You’re good at plenty of things. Just perhaps not building and redstone. I’m sure you would do fine if you really tried! You're always so smart that you'd surely get it with a little effort.” _Shoulders untensed slightly at his words but Techno still shrugged the hands off, Ghostbur not opposing the movement in the slightest._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Thanks, Ghostbur,” Techno mumbled, looking down at the snowy ground. Ghostbur nodded at him but he didn't see, gaze firmly planted at his feet. “Anyways,” he stated, and began walking away without acknowledging the moment, Ghostbur happily trailing behind him. “Here’s the turtle farm over here,” he pointed. Ghostbur followed the finger to the small green figures crawling through the pen, ooh-ing and aw-ing at the babies and adults alike. “I got ‘em and set it up with Phil. Thought it would be a good time, and the scoots might come in handy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“Aren’t you in retirement?” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Listen...I might just make some turtle shell helmets in the future. Might sparkle up the living room a bit more. You never know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________“Alright, Technoblade." ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Techno huffed. “Anyway, this here is Toby. He’s the oldest turtle here. Hatched a few days after we set it up. Phil made me take a picture with him,” he said, reminiscing. Ghostbur smiled with him, trailing his ghostly hands over the turtle’s shell, before his eye caught on a small building he hadn’t seen before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________It was short and relatively wide, and built into the side of the mountain. Ghostbur might not have noticed it if he hadn’t been sitting in the pen, as it was virtually unseen from any other angle. The stone was smooth and freshly cut, and only the hints of vegetation grew on the edges of the doorframe. _“What’s that?” _Ghostbur whispered, and moved towards the structure.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“What are you-” Techno started, watching Ghostbur’s path, before he stopped. “Oh, yeah,” he murmured, making his way over next to the ghost. Ghostbur grasped the handle of the dark wooden door and opened it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“What have you got there, Technoblade?” _the ghost pondered, floating inside the tiny building. He took in the area; a singular stone room chiseled by hand and lit faintly by the torches on the walls. It looked like it should be cold and barren, but the room was lined with vines and there was a flag on the far wall. He moved closer, pressing his hand to the fabric, rough but strong even in his half intangible hands. It was draped over a carved stone box the same color as his flesh, and Ghostbur’s gaze settled on the words at the top. His white eyes widened. _“Oh.” ______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Techno followed behind him, rubbing his claws together nervously as he started in a low rumble, “Yeah, I know it’s not much. You know I’m not much of a designer, like I said,” he said, looking at the ground with disappointment,” but that’s why I wanted your opinion too; I know you’re good at that sort of stuff and- “_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________His rambling was interrupted by a soft sob from the back of the room, and he looked up in a panic towards Ghostbur. The ghost had a hand to his mouth and faint streams of blue dripping down his cheeks, running off his chin and disappearing just before they hit the coarse stone. He was hovering above the box and running his fingers over the carved letters, tracing the name of a “tyrant” slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Oh, no.” Techno took a few quick steps to Ghostbur’s side, a knot settling in his stomach. He didn’t deal well with crying, or emotions at all really; he preferred to either stab or farm his issues away, and neither of those seemed right for the situation. “I’m sorry Ghostbur,” he started,” I didn’t mean to make you upset. I know the vines are messy, and it’s pretty empty, but I wasn’t sure what I should add or what would look good so I just-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________“Techno, it’s fine,” _Ghostbur interrupted, wiping the tears from his eyes and looking over at the anxious pig with a small smile. _“I just. I thought-” _He stopped for a moment. _“Alivebur didn’t get a funeral. He didn’t deserve one, I thought. He was a bad man, very bad, and everyone hated him, so he got to rot in a hole somewhere, forgotten by everyone. Like the horrible monster he was.” ________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________Techno stared at the ghost, then down at the casket, gaze stuck on rough carvings of Wilbur Soot. Shaky hands made the letters slightly less-than-perfect despite the care he had made to make them clear and legible. His claws were still dull reminders of the process, but the sacrifice had been worth it, he thought. Crimson eyes traced the same path as the ghost’s fingers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Wilbur was,” he started, and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Wilbur wasn’t just his end, Ghostbur.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________He sighed, fiddling with his claws as he spoke. “He wasn’t just some crazy asshole with a TNT fixation. He definitely was, don’t get me wrong,” he chuckled, “but that wasn’t all he was. You think that Phil had slain the dragon, that he had defeated the horrible enemy that was Wilbur Soot, but he didn’t. He killed his only son because he didn’t know what else he could do, and every day he sees the blood on his hands that he can’t scrub off no matter how hard he tries.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________Ghostbur hadn’t said anything beyond the faint sniffles where he hovered and the clench of fabric in a gray-stained grip, so he forged on. Technoblade has always been one for long, dramatic speeches (and Wilbur was the same) so he hoped Ghostbur can forgive him for this one as well._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“He was a son, and a father, to more than one person.” He thought of Tommy, of the day that Wilbur had brought him home, with dirt-stained cheeks and red eyes and a fierce demeanor that barely covered his fear. “Tommy loved him, so much, even at the end when it was all fucked up and nothing was okay. He still loved Wilbur, even despite what he had become. And-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________Technoblade stopped for a moment before taking a shaky breath and continuing. “And he was my friend. Even when he went a little extreme, I still wanted to protect him. To help him. And I couldn’t, as it turns out, protect him from himself. If I couldn’t do that, then I at least wanted to give him a bit of rest. I don’t know if that worked either, but it was worth a shot. For the sake of the Wilbur I used to know.” Techno looked up to see Ghostbur’s blank white eyes staring directly into his, pools of blue building up at the corners again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________Ghostbur reached down and grasped Techno’s hands delicately in his, minding the sharp edges, and, with a tear falling from his eyes, smiled. _“Thank you, Techno,” _he whispered, and the blue dropped onto their joined hands before fading into nothing. Ghostbur looked back at the grave, at the body beneath the stone. _“Maybe,” _he started, turning back to Techno, _“it wouldn’t be so bad. To be him again. To be Alivebur.” _________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“Anarchy is all about choice, and the power and willingness to do what you feel is right.” No matter what Techno feels, this isn’t about him. It’s about Ghostbur. If Ghostbur wants to go, then he’ll treasure the blue left carefully in his Enderchest where no one can disturb it. If he stays, then he will do the same with the brown trenchcoat stained with blood, a hole torn firmly in the middle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________________“Thank you.” _Ghostbur let go of his hands for a moment, only to immediately wrap his barely tangible arms around Techno in a gentle hold. The pig stiffened at first, taking in the situation before easing a bit, and sneaking his arms behind the ghost’s back. He closed his eyes and leaned into the hold. _“Thank you, Technoblade.” ______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________“‘Course,” he murmured lowly, not moving for a bit. It had been a long time since he had held someone, or since anyone had done the same for them. Even with Phil, despite their history, they needed time to smooth their edges and try to fit together again. It felt so nice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________Anxiety finally getting the better of him, Techno let go of the hug and stepped back, Ghostbur doing the same. He cleared his throat, before looking around nervously. “So, did you have any décor tips? Anything you wanted to add?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________Ghostbur giggled, clapping his hands together excitedly. _“Of course, Techno! Let’s see, here we could add some more blue, and here-“ _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________Techno sighed and let the ghost ramble on in the background excitedly, dashing from one corner to the next, already set to add to the basic framework he’d been given. He glanced back at the cold stone casket. It did not move, and he heard nothing more than the whispering at the back of his mind, the voices more silent as they had ever been._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Hello to anyone who decided this was worth their five minutes. Just wanted to say that this was started during the Resurrection stream and I didn't include any lore brought up since then. This is also based on my personal lore backstory of the SBI (no, they're not related in this, don't worry; found family for the win). If anyone wants that, feel free to tell me in the comments below and I'll try my best to get to it. Do be warned, though, because my upload schedule is worse than Techno's. Additionally, I barely looked over this after binge-writing half of it in one go, so if anyone finds any mistakes or needs a tag added, then feel free to point them out in the comments as well. Again, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it :)


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